Mechanical toy



MEILLE MECHANIGAL TOY Feb. 20, 1940.

Filed Aug. 4, 1939 a Sheet s 1 Inv orneys v Feb. '20, 1940. F. J. MEILLEUR MECHANICAL TOY Filed Aug. 4, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A liorneys Feb. 20, 1940. F. J; MEILLEUR MECHANICAL TOY Filed Aug. 4, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor fifwzzzea i Patented Feb. 20, 1940 v UNITED ,sTATEs MECHANICAL TOY ra k 3: ant New Orleans, La. Application rh gust l, 1939, Serial No. 288,442

3 Claims. (o1. 2 72-30) This invention relates to a mechanical toy, and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which is especially adapted to provide healthful exercise and afford a maximum amount of amusement for either children or adults and combines in one device amerry-goround and a see-saw and may be easily operated bythe riders as. either a merry-go-roundor a see-saw or with both motions at the same time and is simple in construction and durable and i may be manufactured and sold at a low cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts .0 be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had, to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating a meu chanical toy constructed in accordance with my invention.

pedal.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view showing a portion of the rocker board" and one of the seats adapted thereto. Figure '7 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view illustrating. the pivotal connection between the rocker board and its support forthe mobile seen that the present invention includes a base unit of the device. u p u Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan view showing a portion of the mobile removed. r

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the means of joining the crank shaft of the device to connecting rods.

Figure 10 is a bottom plan View illustrating a turntable forming a part of the mobile unit.

Referring in detail to the drawings,it will be A, a mobile unit B and a rocker assembly C. a

. The base A includes ground engaging members 5 arranged at right angles to each other and suitably joined together and on which is mounted a disc-like plate 6 having integral therewith an upstanding annular flange lforming a track for traction wheels 8 of the mobile unit B. The disc 8 is provided with a centrally arranged bearing 9 unit with the rocker board.

through which extends a king bolt N that also PATENT OFFHCE I y extends through the ground engaging members I to act as a tie for the plate ii to saidhiembersi The king pin Hl further extends through a turn table II having equalizing rollers i2 that ride the platefi within the track 1. It" is preferable that 1 the rollers 12 be arranged at rightangles. to the" traction wheels 8.

secured thereto while the opposite other traction wheel journaled thereon.

The rotation of the crank shaft will tang r due toathe Q is secured about rotationof the turn-tabledl fact that one of the tractionwheels The turn-table ii includes 1 vertically arranged spaced standards ififconnected at their upper ends by a pivot pin it! and also have bearingsi'or supporting a crankshaft iii, one end ofwhich has one of the traction. wheels.

en a the to the crank shaft and engages withthe track. I p The rocker assembly C includes a rocker board" 18 having a slot ll intermediate its ends and upon its under face secured to the rocker board and at opposite sides of the slot .l'lare bearing "1 strips l8 having therein a series of notchesor grooves I9. The notches or grooves iii of one of E the bearing strips l8 are arrangedopposite or in alignment with the grooves or notches offith e other bearing strip so that .thenotches ofsaid bearing strips willbe arranged in opposed pairs for the purpose of receiving therein thepivot pin M. By having the pairs of notches or'grooves will permitthe rocker board it to be balanced on u the rocker pin. and to adapt its use for riders of diiTerent weights.

An eye bolt 20 has the pin [4 I extending therethrough and-passes through the slot ll and rocker board and receives t hereon a nut2i. 1

Therocker board [6 is equipped with seats 22 which may be adjusted endwise of the rocker board and each includes cleats 23 which straddle the rocker board and are connected by a tie bolt 24 underlying the rocker board and which will prevent the front end of the seat from raising upwardly from the rocker board but still permit the seat to'be slid endwise of the rocker board.

The rocker board has a series of sockets 25 overlaid by the seats and pins 26 are carried by" the seats and may enter any of the sockets for adjustably connecting the seats on the rocker board and which will permit the seats to be easily adjusted enclwise of the rocker board by disen gaging the pins or projections from the sockets.

Roller typebumpers 27 are carried by the ends of the rocker bar to act as shock absorbers when the rocker bar is engaged with the ground or object and each includes a roller 28 carried by ating levers 32.

frames '29 connected to the rocker board by a coil spring 30.

The'rocker board adjacent the seats is provided with slots 31 through which extend oper- The operating levers are pivotally mounted,as shown at 33, and extend above and below the rocker board adjacent the seats.

The upper ends of the levers 32 are provided withhand grips 34 and the lower ends are equipped with rods 35 on which are mounted foot pedals 26. The outer ends of the rods 35 are supported by braces 31 which are connected to the pivot pins of the operating levers and act as guards to prevent the operators feet from slipping off of the pedals. i Connecting straps or links 38 are journaled on the rods 35 and alsoon the crank of the crank shaft. Thus it will be seen that the operators occupying the seats may operate the device byboth the feet and hands. In operating the device the rocker board may be caused to rock on the pivot pin 14 to provide a see-saw motion and by rotating, the crankshaft through theoperation of the lever 32 the rocker board may be caused to move in a merry-go-round manner or if desired, either of the motions described may be brought about jointly or separately. Guards 39 are provided forthe traction wheels 8 and are supportedby brackets at secured on the uprights l3. A device of the character described and shown in the drawings is simple to operate and will provide a maximum amount of amusement and healthy exercise to the riders and may be readily assembled and'disassembled when desired and may be manufactured at a low cost and constructed of any material suitable for the purpose. It is believed that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawings, will 1 fully set forth the construction and advantages of' thisinvention to thoseskilled in .the artto which a device relates, so that further detailed description will not be required.

Having thus described my invention, what I.

claim is: v

;1'. A mechanical toy comprising a base, a track on said base, a turn-table rotatably connected to the base and operating within the track, a

traction device including wheels engaging the track and a crank shaft having one of the wheels secured thereto and the other wheel journaled thereon, supports on the turn-table and carryin the traction device, a rocker board pivotally and adjustably connected to the supports, seats adjustably connected to the rocker board, and manually operated levers pivotally mounted on the rocker board adjacent the seats and operatively connected 'to the crank shaft,

2. A mechanical toy comprising a base',an annular track-on said base, aturn-table journaled on said base and operating within the track, supports onsaid turn-table, a rocker board pivotally and adjustably and detachably connected to said supports,v a crank shaft journaled on said supports, traction wheels on said crank shaft and engaging the track and one of said wheels being secured to the crank shaft and the other wheel free of saidcrank shaft, guards for said wheels carried by the supports, seats adjustably connected to the rocker'boardbperating levers pivoted to the rocker board and extending above and below the latter, hand grips secured to the upper ends of the levers, foot pedals secured to. the lower ends of the levers, and connecting strapsjoining the lower ends of the leversto the crank of the crankshaft. V

3. A mechanical toy comprising a base, an annular track on said base, a turn-table journaled on said base, supports'on said turn-table, a rock'- er board pivotally mounted on said supports, a

crankshaft journaled on said supports, traction wheels on the crank shaft and engaging the I, track and one of said wheels being free of the crank shaft and the othergwheel secured thereto,

operating levers pivotally mounted on said rocker board, means for connecting said levers t'o-the" crank shaft, said rocker board having a serie of sockets adjacent its ends, seats engaging the rocker board and adjustable endwisev thereof,

projections on said seats to engage in the sockets, cleats on the seats to straddle the rocker board, tie bolts underlying the rocker board and connecting the cleats. i

' FRANK J. MEILLEUR. 

